• Demonstrate your learning and knowledge of biology in an area of interest to you

• Hone your written and oral communication skills

• Manage a large-scale research project

• Learn to critique peer work

• Prepare job or graduate/professional school materials

• Build your resume

• Always bring your laptop, if you can

• In person lectures Mondays and Wednesdays
  • My goal is for the class to be as interactive as possible
  • Schedule will be posted on Brightspace in the syllabus
  • Slides for each lecture will be posted on Sakai

• Always bring your laptop, if you can

• In person lectures Mondays and Wednesdays
  • My goal is for the class to be as interactive as possible
  • Schedule will be posted on Brightspace in the syllabus
  • Slides for each lecture will be posted on Sakai

• Weekly in person workshops during laboratory period
  • Focus on a specific topic in more detail
  • Attendance is required
  • Workshops vary in length but will typically involve a discussion and an activity
  • Assignments due on Brightspace at 5pm on the Friday after the workshop

• Always bring your laptop

• Fridays are in-person writing sessions
  • Writing is time intensive and requires discussion
  • I will be available as an in-person resource
  • Significant progress towards capstone completion will be made together

• A progress journal will be submitted at the end of each session (for points)
  • You are required to attend 10 sessions (20 points total)
  • First one mandatory

• This class has a lot of major deadlines
  • Topic Declaration (September 3)
  • Capstone Outline - First draft (September 17)
  • Full Project Outline (October 1)
  • Capstone First Draft for faculty review (October 22)
  • Capstone Peer Review (October 29)
  • Capstone Poster Draft (November 5)
  • Capstone Poster (November 29)
  • Poster Presentations (December 1)
  • Capstone Paper (December 3)
  • 2 Take Home exams

• Assignments in italics are required to pass the course

https://brightspace.shepherd.edu/d2l/home

All class resources are in CONTENT

Let me know if something seems off!

• You will choose a biological topic of interest to you and prepare a semester-long research project
  • A research paper
  • A scientific poster and presentation
  • A elevator talk to general public (3 minute thesis)

• Your will synthesize information around a topic and draw conclusions about a hypothesis/question
  • you must address a scientific question

• We will learn about the different types of Capstone papers next lecture

• Various aspects will be evaluated and critiqued by me, biology faculty members, and your peers

• You will submit the paper in steps over the semester:
  • Topic declaration
  • First outline draft with references
  • Expanded outline
  • First draft
  • Final paper

• These will be reviewed by me and feedback given

• The rough draft of the paper will be critiqued by another biology faculty member and a classmate

• The final draft of your capstone paper will be graded by me
  • Rubric on Brightspace

• The poster is a different format for presenting your capstone project—a condensed, easily understood version of your paper that you will present to the group

• Also submitted in steps:
  • Rough draft (peer-reviewed in a workshop)
  • Final version
  • Poster presentation to class

• You will present your poster in the final workshop class of the semester

• The final poster and presentation will be graded by me
  • rubric on Brightspace

• This semester we will run the first annual Capstone 3-M Thesis

• Internationally recognized competition that challenges students to present a compelling oration on their thesis and its significance in just 3 minutes
  • presented in language that anyone can understand

• Rules:
  • one static PowerPoint slide (no transitions or animations)
  • no other media allowed
  • no props spoken word only (no poems, raps or songs)
  • strict 3 minute time limit
  • no audience questions

• Will prepare you for your poster presentation

Evaluation of the capstone project and its various parts constitute the majority of your grade

Capstone deadlines on the syllabus (see astricks) must be met to pass the class

We will devote at least one entire class to plagiarism—what it is and how to avoid it

• Take a piece of paper out and answer these questions…
  • Let them swirl around in your head, while you consider your project idea
  • Start to brainstorm ideas that connect your answers
  • Don’t think, write fast

• Take a piece of paper out and answer these questions…
  • Let them swirl around in your head, while you consider your project idea
  • Start to brainstorm ideas that connect your answers
  • Don’t think, write fast

1. I want to be ____________ when I grow up.

2. My favorite science topic in all my undergraduate topic was____________.

3. The one ‘sciency’ thing that I enjoyed but still don’t understand is _____________.